Miller at a loss after New Bedford Bay Sox drop first five games

Sunday

Jun 15, 2014 at 12:01 AMJun 15, 2014 at 12:05 AM

Who are these Bay Sox? That's what Manager Rick Miller would like to find out as the New Bedford team fell to 0-5 in the New England Collegiate Baseball League Saturday night after being hammered, 11-5, by the Valley Blue Sox.

BILL ABRAMSON

NEW BEDFORD — Who are these Bay Sox?

That's what Manager Rick Miller would like to find out as the New Bedford team fell to 0-5 in the New England Collegiate Baseball League Saturday night after being hammered, 11-5, by the Valley Blue Sox.

The team that took the field wasn't the same as the one expected to compete in New Bedford this season.

All three are infielders, causing Miller to mix and match his players to fill the four positions. Hoehn and Cronin are shortstops, leaving third baseman David MacKinnon (Hartford) to move over to short. Brad Johnson (West Virginia) moved into third base and Walker Moses (Northwestern) moved from the outfield to cover second base. First baseman Lorenzo Papa (Broward) is the only infielder playing his position.

Nicholas Brown, a freshman starter from William & Mary, pitched seven innings in his only start, giving up five hits and one earned run. He reported an elbow injury and went home to Bristol, Va.

"We lost two pitchers before the season," team president Mike Friar said, "and then two others left the team."

While this has impacted the pitching staff, barring last night's loss, the pitchers have acquitted themselves well.

The batters are another story.

"I don't understand why we're not hitting," Friar added. "Our players put up fantastic spring numbers. They were the No. 3 or No. 4 hitters on their teams, power hitters. Some guys are not used to using wooden bats.

"Weyman was the No. 3 hitter for St. John's, Hoehn was an excellent hitter for William & Mary and Cronin was the second leading hitter (.292) for BC. We're working on getting reinforcements and we work on the roster every day."

In the lineup Saturday, catcher Chris Travers of Freetown hit .325 with a team-leading 28 RBI for Roger Williams, Johnson batted .318 at WVU, MacKinnon was a .366 hitter, Adam Routheir hit .312 at Franklin Pierce and Papa batted .267 with four homers.

Team owner Pat O'Connor was quick to point out recent NECBL history.

"Last summer, the Keene (N.H.) Swamp Bats didn't win many games in June and were in last place," he pointed out. "They wound up winning it all."

All college summer baseball teams are watching the NCAA tournament closely. As teams are eliminated, their players scatter across the country to join the teams with whom they have signed contracts. Those teams must then cut players who are on temporary agreements and they become potential players elsewhere.

Kirk Fredricksson, the former general manager of the Bay Sox and the Blue Sox, was in New Bedford in his capacity as a full-time scout for the Baltimore Orioles. His purpose was to watch 6-foot-6 southpaw Tucker Simpson, who the Orioles drafted in the 38th round. Simpson, coming off an injury, was making his summer debut for the Blue Sox and pitched five innings, giving up two hits and a walk and striking out six Bay Sox while hitting 94 on the radar gun.

Fredricksson, who still consults for the Blue Sox, said that 5-2 Valley (formerly Holyoke) was expecting eight new players this weekend.

The Cape Cod League will also be adding players and that will mean the Blue Sox and Cape League teams will be parting ways with players who may be available to fill holes in the Bay Sox lineup.

After falling behind, 11-0, through six innings, the Bay Sox got on the scoreboard in grand fashion in the bottom of the eighth on Johnson's grand slam.

The Bay Sox are back at Paul Walsh Field tonight (6:30) against Keene and will be home Tuesday for the make-up game of the postponed season opener against the Danbury (Conn.) Westerners.